


To the Top

by Swiftarcher



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 02:20:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17275268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swiftarcher/pseuds/Swiftarcher
Summary: Young Zildin climbed the tallest mountain in Eliphemri in search of his place in the clan, but what he found was something entirely different.





	To the Top

The frigid wind sawed at Zildin and froze his sweat, battering at him on the rock face. He jammed a foot almost past feeling into a crack, praying it could hold. Another few minutes and his fingers would be too numb to grip cold rock, much less contain the strength to fight the bitter crosswinds. He looked around for a rock ledge or an indented shelf. As he looked his strength began to fade and he quickly lost his footing. He frantically grabbed around searching for a way to slow his descent. 

His hands found purchase around the entrance of a small cavern. He howled in strenuous pain as he fought against his downward momentum. Slowly he pulled himself into the cavern. "That was a little too close." he said flicking a small rock off the cliff face.

A series of sonic clicks echoed throughout the enclosed chamber. Zildin curiously followed the sound, carefully leaving scratch marks behind. He slowly wormed his way through the jagged path, weaving around small stalagmites. The rapid clicking became louder as he approached a cave in. There he found a small white wyrmling trapped beneath the rubble. 

The whelp hissed as he drew closer. "Don't worry little guy. I've got you." he said inching his way over. 

He delicately removed a few of the stones pinning the creature down. Instantly the drake snapped up, snorting small flurries of ice. "Almost there." he said continuing to clear the debris, "Quickly now! I can only hold this for so long." 

The small wyrmling quickly limped out from underneath the rubble before it came crashing down once more. The drake turned it's attention to Zildin and let loose a low growl. 

He crawled closer to the little beast. "Calm down. We're all friends here."

Defensively, the whelp snapped at his snow-matted blonde hair. He tossed the fennec he had strapped to belt at the small creature. The wyrmling cautiously sniffed the fox carcass before rending its flesh. The beast quickly devoured it's meal before turning back to Zildin. 

Zildin motioned his head towards the entrance. "What do you say we get out of here."

He followed his scratch marks through the winding caverns with the whelp crawling slowly behind. When he reached the mouth of cavern he shivered recalling his most recent experience. He looked back at the drake only to find it futilely flapping its broken wing. "Well guess we're doing this together then." he said dipping low enough for the whelp to climb up his arm.

With a deep breath he inched his way out of the cavern and began shimmying across the the cliff face. The wyrmling desperately clung to his fur lined tunic releasing a series of nervous clicks. "It'll be fine." he said.

Zildin defiantly pushed his way down against the howling winds. The descent down this part of the mountain went without problem as the two made it safely to solid ground. The small drake leapt off his back and began to burrow into the thick snow. 

Zildin shook his head. "Well I'm heading back to my camp. Good luck little one." 

The winter whelp poked his head out of the snow and quickly followed after him. Zildin turned around to find the drake burrowing into the snow again directly behind him. "Your welcome to follow me you know." 

The wyrmling peered out before climbing atop Zildin once more. "Well if your gonna follow me I suppose you'll need a name. How about Iksil?" 

The creature shook its head. 

"Fraust?"

This time the whelp snorted some ice in response.

"Then what about Jökul?" 

The drake tilted his head curiously.

"Jökul it is then little one." 

From that day the two spent that next few months together hunting and training. Zildin honed his skill with a bow while Jökul began to get used to flying once more. Zildin regaled his new companion with all the stories of his tribe. How they live at the base of the Dragon's Spine and how they climb to the highest point they can reach to determine their place in the tribe. Soon Jökul became erratic and constantly pulled Zilden northeast down the mountain. 

"What is it Jökul?" he asked, "What's got you in a fuss?"

Jökul simply clicked rapidly and proceeded towards the base of the mountain. The two trekked all the way down to where the desert and mountain meet. Their they saw a covered wagon pulling its way across the dunes in the direction they were heading. 

Zildin sprinted towards the wagon. "Hey!" he shouted, "Wait up!"

The cart came to a steady halt allowing the boy to catch up. A large leonine stepped out of the cart. "Lookin' for something boy?" he asked. 

"It looks like you're heading in the same direction we are." said Zildin, "And I've never really left the mountain but I don't think the heat would good for this little guy."

The large cat peered closely at Jökul. As he got close Jökul snorted a flurry of snow at the cat. 

He simply laughed. "Well guess I can scratch getting sneezed on by a winter dragon off my bucket list." 

The cat extended a large hand. "Niles."

Zildin followed suit. "I'm Zildin and this is Jökul."

Niles motioned for Zildin to follow him in. There he beheld a strange sight. On one side Niles took a seat next to a tanned elven man with a sleeveless black tunic. On the other side sat a strange insectoid woman.

He smiled nervously. "Hello everyone, I'm Zildin and this little guy is Jökul." he greeted. 

The elven man glared at Jökul and emitted a low growl. Niles broke the tension. "Apparently Zildin here is headin' in the same direction so I thought it only natural to invite him as well." 

The insectoid woman clapped excitedly. "This is progress Niles." Her mandibles clattering after every letter. 

"I hope you don't mind mantids." she said holding out a three fingered hand, "I'm Voxx." 

He shook her albino hand. "I'm not gonna lie. I have no idea what a mantid is." he said.

She simply stated, "Excellent." 

The elven man sat cross armed glaring at Jökul." Lloyd. And no I'm not an elf." he said begrudgingly.

Niles looked to Voxx. "Now that introductions are out of the way let us be off."

She nodded and the cart began to move northeast once more.


End file.
